There is an increasing trend to view video content on devices other than a television such as a personal computer, an Apple iPod®, a Microsoft Zune™, a mobile phone such as an Apple iPhone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or the like. Unlike a television, these devices primarily have a one-to-one mapping with a user. As such, a first user may be watching video content on his device while a second user that is proximate to, or otherwise associated with, the first user may be watching different content on her device. For example, consider three users A, B, and C that are in close physical proximity such as in a living room of their home. User A is viewing previously downloaded or Video-on-Demand (VoD) content on a wireless handheld device, such as a Microsoft Zune™, Nintendo DS®, or other Wireless Fidelity (WiFi)-capable playback handheld video device. User B is watching content on a High Definition Television (HDTV) device provided by an associated set-top box that functions as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) and a digital signal decoder. User C is watching a downloaded video from a service such as Apple iTunes® on a personal computer.
In such a system or in similar systems, the opportunity exists to provide the users with a common experience. As such, there is a need for a system and method of coordinating playback of media content at multiple playback devices.